As a little girl I can always remember my dad packing his kit and donning his walking boots for a weekend away climbing the Munros of Scotland. Or the whole family joining him for the annual Burns Supper with The Cairngorm Club. I have always seen his climbing achievements as something really incredible and the sense of community something unlike anything else. Dad even scaled the Matterhorn back in the day when safety equipment encompassed little more than a rope, a hard hat and a hope for the best attitude. He has many an adventure story to tell.
I am only just starting out in my hillwalking career but I would like to have some interesting tales to tell others too, so what better place to start training that the beautifully picturesque Loch Muick, which lies within the boundary of the Balmoral Estate.
Getting there: Head for Ballater, which is an easy drive out from Aberdeen of about an hour and a half. Just head for Banchory and then keep going! When arriving at Ballater, turn left onto the bridge, then right and at the fork go straight ahead towards the Spittal of Glen Muick car park about 6 miles down the single track road.
Top tip: The car park is £4 for cars and camper vans so remember to take coins for the machine!
The Walk: If you haven't walked the Loch Muick Circuit before, it's a really easy going walk - perfect for starting out if you haven't done much in the way of this kind of thing before. In essence, it's a fairly flat circuit, which isn't too challenging on the legs.
Part One: To begin, head past the visitor centre (note: at the risk of sounding like your mum, make sure you take a pee stop before commencing). There is an option to carry straight on to do the circuit clockwise or to take the Lochnagar Path to the right and complete the circuit anti-clockwise.
Tip: If completing the route anti-clockwise, make sure you don't branch off to the right at the end of the first straight at an old barn. This will take you towards a much greater challenge than anticipated - towards the Lochnagar Munro!
Part Two: If you decide to take the circuit on clockwise, like myself and my boyfriend Stuart did, you can carry along a good track (as in my picture). You will also pass another branch to the right. This is a much shorter walk, which loops round past the edge of the loch and back towards some houses on the other side at Allt-na-guibhsaich, then back to the visitor centre.
Tip: The above mentioned shortcut is much more manageable if you have small children.
Part Three: Carry along the path and pass a modern boathouse below and over a foot bridge where there is a small waterfall. You will then see the path branch off, with one path scaling up the hill. This is the Capel Mounth path track - a high, long distance walk through to lower Glen Clova. For the Loch Muick circuit, make sure you follow the sign posts onto a narrower track through the heather. This narrower track is slightly tougher going than the track at the beginning of the circuit, but still very manageable.
Part Four: The path opens out onto a beach at the far end of the Loch, which offers spectacular views. It was a bit windy on the day for us to stop and have our picnic there, but it is often a great spot in the height of summer. Remember to take all your rubbish home! It's also a great location for spotting deer and even the odd Adder basking on the paths during the warmer months. I have spotted one here before - amazing!
Part Five: Ahead to the right you will see a wooded area, with the Falls of Glas Allt beyond and the gorgeous Glas Allt Shiel Lodge on the edge of the loch. Head towards the house, which was originally built for Queen Victoria after the death of Prince Albert and became known as 'The Widow's Hut'. It has also been known as one of the current Queen's favourite picnic spots, but is seldom used by Royalty themselves. Part of it is much more commonly used as an open bothie, so if you ever want to say you've stayed in the Queen's hoose, this is your opportunity! The wooded area is also an excellent sheltered spot to sit and have a flask of coffee and a sandwich - which is exactly what we did!
Part Six: The track opens out to a much wider track with a fence to the side of the loch. You will come to an old stone boat house and small beach on the right, which lays beside the shortcut circuit path I mentioned earlier. This is also a sweet spot for a picnic, down on the little beach. Carry on along the track towards Allt-na-guibhsaich lodge.
Tip: Remember to check out the field opposite the visitor centre for some horses or if you're lucky you might find a few of these chaps below!
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